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Modeless Vim

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Re: Modeless Vim

#71

Post by a-dub »

ilaksh wrote: post #64

I currently use vim every day. I have been trying to learn vim off and on for about 30 years. vi and vim have modes because they were created in an era where computing and terminal capabilities were very limited and even when the terminals could support interactive editing, it wasn't expected. They had very low expectations. They were used to things like 'ed'. The religious beliefs that programmers have about vim are…

> vi and vim have modes becaus they were created in an era where computing and terminal capabilities were very limited.

that's the whole point. it was designed for limited terminals and high latency, very slow serial links. that means when you learn it and all of its shortcuts and you have a fast and modern terminal, you are able to edit at ludicrous speed.

it's like training at altitude or running with weight belts for editing text.

Re: Modeless Vim

#72

Post by reactordev »

Waterluvian wrote: post #70
reactordev wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That’s a butternut squash pie, not a pumpkin pie. ;) Try with pumpkin, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves… it’s that old timer pumpkin pie taste.

Apparently coffee cake has no coffee in it so we really can’t believe anything anymore.

Oh but mine does… the glaze is powdered sugar and espresso.

Re: Modeless Vim

#73

Post by aidenn0 »

csdvrx wrote: post #54
arcanemachiner wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Back in my day, when we pressed Ctrl+S, the terminal froze, and that's just the way we liked it. https://unix.stackexchange.com/questions/12107/how-to-unfree...

> Back in my day, when we pressed Ctrl+S, the terminal froze, and that's just the way we liked it. I don't think anyone needs (or even wants) the terminal to freeze on such a common shortcut in 2024. Personally, I have reclaimed Ctrl S for word delete (usually done by Alt-d)

Related: why does the shortcut to delete back a word (^W), close my browser tab?

Re: Modeless Vim

#74

Post by danra »

asix66 wrote: post #58

Seems maybe author did not know that this is already built into vim?: "easy vim", aka evim, or "vim -y". see "man vim" That said, if modeless editor you are looking for... then vim is not the editor you're looking for. It goes against what vim is, and hamstrings it. Learning vim is a journey, and once comfort sets in, you will understand why, why vim.

Good to know.

Of course, I did have to google how to quit easy vim.

Re: Modeless Vim

#76

Post by goldenshale »

jjcm wrote: post #37

Conceptually the reasons the author give for this (syntax highlighting and other features of vim outclass other terminal-based editors) make total sense. That said there's something absolutely defiling about this. It's like installing a V8 in a Tesla, or replacing the pumpkin in pumpkin pie. I love that it will make VIM more accessible for more people, but I hate how they do it. Kudos to the author.

Seriously, it hurts. It makes sense, but it hurts. If only there were a more gentle path to editor modes. Maybe some simple graphical representation of the modes and commands that could be down in the corner? Like a dynamic vim infographic that clued a user into the most likely commands.

Re: Modeless Vim

#77

Post by ilaksh »

a-dub wrote: post #71
ilaksh wrote: post #64

I currently use vim every day. I have been trying to learn vim off and on for about 30 years. vi and vim have modes because they were created in an era where computing and terminal capabilities were very limited and even when the terminals could support interactive editing, it wasn't expected. They had very low expectations. They were used to things like 'ed'. The religious beliefs that programmers have about vim are…

> vi and vim have modes becaus they were created in an era where computing and terminal capabilities were very limited. that's the whole point. it was designed for limited terminals and high latency, very slow serial links. that means when you learn it and all of its shortcuts and you have a fast and modern terminal, you are able to edit at ludicrous speed. it's like training at altitude or running with weight belts…

I just don't believe that the average vim users edits significantly faster than non vim users.

I mean, maybe 5% faster. Sure. Maybe. But at what price? _At what price, I ask you??_

Re: Modeless Vim

#79

Post by pastage »

csdvrx wrote: post #57
beachy wrote: post #42

I attempted this within a few days of first being exposed to vi - 35 years ago. But since I was logging into different machines all the time I soon decided it was better to just use vi the way it came out of the box, modes and all. That philosophy has served me well over the years.

> But since I was logging into different machines all the time We now have actually portable executables (multiplatform, multios) that contain their own config file: you can just scp 1 binary and be done with it.

Do you have a link to this? It is not always possible, arcane non x86 arches, low bandwidth connections, but time is the big thing. A binary upload just to change some lines in a machine on the other side of the world. I am lazy.

Re: Modeless Vim

#80

Post by mikepurvis »

Waterluvian wrote: post #70
reactordev wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That’s a butternut squash pie, not a pumpkin pie. ;) Try with pumpkin, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves… it’s that old timer pumpkin pie taste.

Apparently coffee cake has no coffee in it so we really can’t believe anything anymore.

But coffee cake is the cake you have with coffee, not made from it.
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